I stood on the balcony railing, my body swaying slightly in the evening breeze. The concrete garden paths looked impossibly far below, but I kept my eyes fixed on my mother's pale face.
"Imogen, please," Mother begged again, her hand trembling as she reached toward me. "Come down from there. We can talk about this."
"There's nothing to talk about," I spat. "Either you fix this with the Ricardos or I jump. It's that simple."
Fear flashed across her face. Good. She needed to understand I wasn't playing games anymore.
"You've always favored Juliana," I continued, shifting my weight just enough to make her gasp. "Always rushing to protect her while expecting me to be perfect. Well, I'm done being perfect if I don't get what I want."
"Evelyn!" My father's voice boomed as he burst into the room. "What in God's name—" He froze when he saw me perched on the railing.
"Tell her, Dad," I demanded. "Tell her she needs to go to the Ricardos right now and save my engagement."
